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Not here, I’m afraid – although Jim and I will be pairing up for further discussion about CD Projekt’s new roleplaying opus very soon – but over on Eurogamer, where I’ve dashed out a goodly few words about the first two sections of The Witcher 2. Now, I’m known in some parts (by people who don’t entirely grasp that there are medium-sized numbers in between high numbers and low numbers) as one of the guys who didn’t dig the original Witcher all that much. You’ll find over here that I certainly don’t feel the same way about the second game. E.g. on EG:

A huge step upwards in terms of presentation, writing and roleplaying complexity, The Witcher 2 takes the RPG fight right to the big boys. Assassins of Kings? If the kings are BioWare and Bethesda, that sounds about right.

I really, really, really hope review code’s landing soon. In fact, I just spied a press release claiming the game’s gone gold, so that May 17 release date is in no doubt.

67 Comments

How shall this positiveness be countered in the most effective and prudent way? I think a good round of “OMG THE GAME’S NOT TURN BASED AND HAS ACTION IT’S NOT A REAL RPG TAKE YOUR CONSOLE CRAP TO THE CONSOLE CRAP LOLOL” is in order.

I haven’t been this excited about an unreleased game since Left 4 Dead 1. Mentioning The Witcher 2 as often as possible doesn’t make that any better, so please continue. :) Being able to get myself roped into a bit of good old hype is actually quite nice from time to time, for a (usually) seen-it-all kind of person like myself. Fairly enjoying the pre-release media from CD Projekt as well.

Of Obisidian’s output I’ve only played alpha protocol, although I have NWN2 and Mask of the Betrayer on my shelf for a future date. Still, Troika’s half-finished VtM:Bloodlines has most things beat into a cocked hat, so I don’t know that I’d necessarily say Obsidian have them definitively beat.

Didn’t much like Bloodlines. Way too action-packed for me. Both Arcanum and Temple of Elemental Evil were better games, for two very different reasons (obviously).

Still, my original post was made to indicate that BioWare and Bethesda are actually the kings of the CRPG. However, it was also made to express how unfortunate it is, as neither company make good games these days and neither company make pure CRPGs.

The likes of Origin Systems, SSI, New World Computing, Sir-Tech, Attic and Interplay/Black Isle are all gone.

Wizardry, I’m actually dumbfounded that there aren’t really any medium-sized indie devs tackling the RPG problem. I think a lot of us would be perfectly fine with a 2D isometric RPG if it had great characters, tons of choice, and a deep story. Yeah, we have tiny devs making solid games (like Vogel) but that stuff isn’t really scratching my itch.

It’s not like the market for games like Baldur’s Gate and Avernum ever went away. It’s just that the video game exploded so much that 100,000 — 300,000 sales aren’t sustainable on a AA budget. So I say fuck the budget and make something with 1999 graphics and tons of content.

I would *love* a game like that. =) Avernum is nice, but I get bored of having no characterful personalities among my companions (you can design them very carefully, but I like it when a game lets your design *yourself* carefully and then gives you companions who are interesting *people* — like the Kotor games or NWN2+MotB)…so I would especially love a turn-based game as of olde, but largely based on solo play or putting together the right fellowship…with perhaps only 50% of the game being combat (and the other 50% *not* being running back and forth to combat =). Yes…

Any tips for getting into the combat of the first game? I bought it on Steam the other day on a whim because Witcher 2 looks so good, but for some reason the combat really confused me, or at least was a big turn-off. I didn’t even finish the first battle before quitting the game.

There are tutorial tips displaying explaining everything. If you cannot follow them…well, sigh.
Anyway, yes you have to time your button clicks so that combos flow into each other. You need to have correct style for any given enemy to be able to beat them too. For agile ones, fast style, for slower strong style, etc.Then you have to combine it with signs, use alchemy, oils, runes etc. On hard at least all that is necessary.

The combat isn’t like most RPG’s. They’re using a highly modified version of the Aurora engine, which was used for the Neverwinter Nights games. If you know those games, you know that those are party-based RPG’s in which the combat usually plays out on a group vs other group basis.

The Witcher’s combat kinda works like you’re zoomed in on a single character in a party-based combat game. however you have a ton more control over the actions of that single character.
That’s how it felt to me. It was weird at first, but you just get used to it after a while.

To make combo’s you just need to time your sword attacks with the icon on screen or the “sword swishing” sound you’ll come to recognize. Strong style versus big/tough enemies, Fast style versus quick/nimble ones and group style speaks for itself. Generally the in-game monster manual gives you tips on how to fight certain monsters though, so read those if you’re having trouble.

Personally I’d recommend you play the game on Hard, even if you’re a total newbie. If you don’t you’ll be so powerful by the last few chapters that combat will be totally boring and you won’t even have to use potions anymore. Just remember to level up your Aard sign before the Chapter 1 endgame and keep a Swallow and Blizzard potion on you once the end of the Chapter approaches.

The combat is hugely counter intuitive to anything you’re used to. The thing to remember is that however tempting it might be, don’t hit the mouse button.

This isn’t a game where you can only swing so often (like Oblivion), it’s a game where if you try and swing too soon, you screw up and have to start the combo again. It took me most of the first chapter to get a handle on it, as pretty much every game ever teaches you to click that button as quick as possible.

It almost helps to think of the fights as a rhythm action game. Note the combat isn’t bad, nor is it particularly brilliant and amazing. It’s just hugely different to everything else.

I, sir, have to disagree. I didn’t enjoy the fights, half because of the horribly ridiculous animation of Geralt, half because their gameplay didn’t catch my attention. I found the graphic very kitsch, trying to look beautiful with a heap of color and clumsy serious art ; IMO in the end they either lacked either good taste, either a common cultural ground between polish culture and mine so I can enjoy them (but I love STALKER’s art so I guess it’s just lack of taste and overcompensation for it). I don’t remember the music. I hated being force to play hardcore (as I am for nearly every game now) and hence forced to learn the specific rules of Alchemy from start (while I hate the idea of winning because I am on drug and farmed enough flowers). I couldn’t stand Geralt, and I can’t remember the other characters. I uninstalled the game after playing 2 hours into it, knowing for sure I couldn’t enjoy the game even a little, despite the known fact that it was cult to other.

Checked out Witcher 2 preview above. It’s still look visually wrong (… to me ! don’t flame…). It’s still Geralt, and it’s still look like a game that want to tell me a story rather than let me write mine. The only thing remotely exciting is the good appreciation of writing. Good writing can do a lot, so if it’s confirmed, I may give it a try.

To be very specific I hated the fact that Geralt is always running with his sword high in the air. It looked comic in a bad way – and very unrealistic (try to do that for real, you’ll feel your pain !). Maybe the move was well recorded, maybe some attack moves locked nice, but half of the time it just felt like playing a retard waving a sword and running to me :P

“To be very specific I hated the fact that Geralt is always running with his sword high in the air. It looked comic in a bad way – and very unrealistic (try to do that for real, you’ll feel your pain !).”

Umm just to let you know, holding your sword above your head allows your swing to take advantage of gravity. This syle of fighting was used extensively during the Crusades. Its Called the “High Guard” or “Hawk Guard” and is very very “realistic”, its actually a credit to the Devs for doing so much indepth research. Also just because you get tired swinging a sword doesn’t mean others do. If your entire life you have practiced sword styles and used them in combat then they would not be as tireing to them as they are to you.

Yo Alec. How’s the potion system of this game for health? As much as I understand why it worked out the way it did in witcher 1, I hated how there just weren’t instant hp pots. Food barely helped and it takes a good few min or so to recover all your hp by idling. You’d think the genetic enhancements maybe grant ya some Wolverine type regeneration.

I am playing on hard and there is no grinding. Swallow regenerates pretty quickly, plus with the right potions/oils/runes enemies do not really hurt all that much. Plus there is a potion called White Raffard which immediately restores vitality. I have 10 of them and still haven’t needed to use one (being in chapter 4). So what are you on about?